In 1899 Queen Victoria decided to send a gift of tin boxes of chocolate to her troops serving in South Africa. It was intended that every soldier and officer should receive a box with the inscription ‘South Africa 1900’ and in the Queen’s handwriting ‘I wish you a happy New Year’. Description: Rectangular tin with …
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The bugle was used primarily by infantry and cavalry to relay instructions from officers to soldiers during battle. It was also used at large training camps with service support units to coordinate activities. Description: A bugle is usually made of copper, gold, (brass) and silver-coloured metals. Origin: The bugle shown was manufactured by the Whaley …
Provincial Heritage Site No. 82, Camp Hughes Military Training Site NE 34-10-16 W, 10 kms west of Carberry, R.M. of North Cypress Established 1909 (used until 1934) National Historic Site of Canada, Designated in 2011 Camp Hughes was a Canadian military training camp. It was actively used for Army training from 1909 to 1934 and …
Context: This First World War medal was authorized on 26 July 1919. It was possible to receive this medal alone but all gallantry medals would include the British War Medal (BWM) and the Victory Medal (VM) as well. Eligibility and Criteria: The medal was awarded to all ranks of Canadian overseas military forces who deployed …
The Memorial Cross (more often referred to as the Silver Cross) was first instituted by Order-in-Council 2374, dated December 1, 1919. It was awarded to mothers and widows (next of kin) of Canadian soldiers who died on active duty or whose death was consequently attributed to such duty. The crosses were sent automatically to mothers …
Nominal Roll: A Nominal Roll is a list of the Officers, NCOs, and Men who served in a unit of the CEF at a specific point in time. They were often compiled prior to a unit embarking for England, and sometimes included embarkation information such as ship name embarkation port and the date of sailing. Information: A small list of some columns listed in the Roll Book were: Regimental …
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Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or passenten, a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar. History: Louis XIV wore shoulder ribbons, an early type of epaulette of the late 17th century. From the 18th century on, epaulettes were used in the French and other …
Who Used Spurs? Mounted infantry were infantrymen who rode horses instead of marching. Spurs, First World War, Original Description: These objects are spurs. They are attached by a leather strap to the heel of a riding boot. A spur consists of a metal U shaped yoke with a protruding wheel of spikes that rotate. This is called a rowel. Spurs are …
Spurs are small pieces of riding equipment attached to the back of a rider’s boot heels. They allow for direct communication between a rider and the horse. These spurs are Box spurs date back to the wearing of overalls by the army. As breeches and boots were introduced to the cavalry uniform, the box spur …
The sword shown was manufactured by J.R. Gaunt and Son Limited, Late Edward Thurkle, London and Birmingham, circa 1915. Description: This is an example of a George V style pattern Officer’s sword with steel swept three bar hilt and a wire bound shagreen (shagreen = rough surface of the sword) grip. It has a fullered …
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